Need advice on working in Japan without a University degree?

Question

I live in Canada and am 22 years old. I really want to travel to Japan to work... I assume teaching English is my best option but I don't really care what work I do, I just want to go, live there and experience the country. I do not have a University degree but am going to a 2-3 year College course...

My question is...
1. Can I get a Visa & find work in Japan with only a College degree (or does it HAVE to be a University degree)?
2. If I can go to Japan with only a College degree, what type of work could I find (other than teaching English)?

**My College degree is in Early Childhood Education, if that helps! Thank you :)

Answer 1

You can NOT legally work in Japan without a BA / BS degree from an " accredited " college ! This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requires. You need this for a work visa. In some cases they'll allow 10 years work experience instead of the degree.

Unless you have a special skill a Japanese doesn't have, chances of finding gainful work are zero. You could work illegally in a factory for 600 yen an hour, but I don't think you'd last long.

Three Day Priest told you the truth.

Early Childhood Education will be of no value in Japan. Can you speak, read and write Japanese at a native level ?

Answer 2

In most cases in order to work full time in Japan you need to have a University degree and you also require the backing of a company in Japan to sponsor your visa.



Most recruiters for English jobs in Japan will require the following:



1. Native English Speaker

2. Full Bachelor Degree (in any field)

3. Basic Japanese Ability



The market is really competitive now so they also prefer teaching experience and qualifications such as ESL, TEFL or CELTA.



As a young Canadian citizen you are eligible for the Working Holiday Program, which might be your best option. The Working Holiday program is open to young citizens (between 18 and 30) from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, France, Germany, Ireland and the UK: those eligible may apply for working holiday visas without having a job offer.

Answer 3

Try the Y!A database on this issue. There's one guy on here who says you can work at a 7-11, get permanent residency and buy a home, all without a university degree.



Others will tell you that your chances are near zero. If Canada has a working holiday visa, that might pan out for you.

Answer 4

Look into getting a Working Holiday visa, or else you can work (with permission) up to 20 hrs/week on a student visa if you are attending an accredited school. Many Chinese and Koreans in fact do this by attending a Japanese language school. You'd need to have at least 1 million yen in a Japanese bank account however to prove your solvency.

Answer 5

You do really need a degree - you *may* be able to pick up work without but it's going to be hard and the visa will be a problem.



To get a job without the degree you usually need to be in the country in person, ideally around the start of the new school year. If you contact as many schools as you can you may well be able to find one which is in need of a teacher and is willing to overlook the degree requirements due to the urgency of getting a native speaker into the classroom!

Answer 6

Simple answer:

1. NO. The Japanese government now requires a University degree before it will issue a WorkVisa.

2. None.

Answer 7

If you want to work as a teacher, you better have a degree, and especially you do need a bachelor degree, that means, university graduate, if you want to work as a proper teacher of English, just because of companies' general requirement.



This is one example.

http://www.amityteachers.com/

This language school "Amity" is very popular franchise in Japan, they have thousands of Japanese primary school children and students as customers. They hire native English speakers as teachers from overseas but their requirements are at least bachelor holders.



i.e. work as a teacher at major cities' English conversation schools, or JET programme, which is an official Japanese government body- running programme. Via JET, you wil be allocated in a local public school as an English teacher, with good salary package and full benefit of free accommodation. you can work up to 5 years as you wish.

Actually, your speciality does NOT matter, for example, if you get a degree of Early Childhood Education, as a bachelor, that gonna be fine, too. to get this job. You don't have to major English language or English teaching.



I know some guys who are from Canada, ones' major is chemistry, and the other is psychology but both are university graduates, and they work as English teachers at a local senior high school in Japan, by JET programme.



http://www.jetprogramme.org/



However you are still able to work as an English teacher without a degree, if you join in a unknown local language school, or you run your own private school, but again, when it comes to getting a working visa, this is another issue. To get a working visa based on a language teacher, the requirement is a bachelor degree. (that is what the government webpage says)



Working holiday scheme is a good one to have a taste of life in Japan.(regardless holding a degree or not) But anytime is not late you start going to university to get bachelor degree.





There is another thing about what other guy wrote about finding a job. You are NOT allowed to work if you enter Japan without a proper working visa, normally you are allowed to enter Japan by the purpose of sightseeing (working is prohibited) within 90 days.



You have to get a proper visa if you want to work in Japan, so you have to consider switching your visa status before you start working. You have to be careful about this because you will be breaking laws and will be deported at worst case if you start working without switching visa to working permitted one. In this respect what other guy said is not quite correct.



However, still, you better hold a degree to work for a decent school. Language schools are so many in Japan and some dodgy ones don't offer good working packages to teachers, which you do not really want to get involved with. I know some friend has been caught one of them and she was in deep trouble. So, I strongly recommend you to hold a degree if you really wish to work for a decent language school.





Hope this helps,

Answer 8

There are so many Japanese young people without jobs now.



Think why any Japanese employer gives a job to a young person from another country even without any skill.

Answer 9

Go with working holiday. Typical non eikaiwa jobs that working holiday makers do are kitchen help and lifty. However since you would be natural to teach tots, you would be quite employable at that.



http://www.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/canada_e/Visa/working_holiday.html

Answer 10

You're Canadian and speak English. In other words, you're at the top of the list for English teachers in Japan already.



You're young, which is also a plus for many employers.



You're interested in Japan. Another plus.



Teaching English probably is your best option, but there is other work in Japan. As you know, you'll have to learn more Japanese to have a greater choice of work in Japan.



There is a myth that some people in this forum like to keep alive, that people need a university degree to get a visa for Japan. It's just a myth. It's helpful to have one, but not necessary.



Your college education will help you in Japan.



1. Yes. 2. Yes.



You're only studying something perfect for teaching.



With that said, if you had a university degree, you could be searching for a job from Canada. You could probably even be recruited while still in Canada, then go to Japan with a visa already in hand.



Because you don't have a university degree, you've got it a bit more difficult. Your best bet is to go to Japan and be able to support yourself while looking for a job. You have 90 days on your visitor permit. That's more than enough time to find a job, but it's a long time to be supporting yourself. Basically you have to go to Japan, have a place to stay, be able to feed yourself, have some decent attire for interviews, have internet access, and just be ready to go around for interviews.



Once you're in the country, and actively looking for work, you'll find something. It's a lot easier for a company to sponsor your visa once you're in Japan. It's almost impossible for a company to sponsor your visa if you're not there yet and don't have a degree. Companies are obliged to have employees who can legally work in Japan, so although most prefer that you already have a visa, a lot will still sponsor your visa even if they don't really want to. The fact is a company that loses a teacher (happens all the time in Japan) is going to be desperate for someone to fill that position asap. Most Japanese like things to work smoothly. If one teacher leaves, they want someone new in the next day. This is where you come in.



So, yeah, it's easier with a university degree, but you've still got tons of chances for work in Japan without one. Remember, once your foot's in the door, things will get better. Spend your money on a ticket to Japan, spend a couple weeks tops looking for jobs, get a job, maybe it will suck for awhile, just deal with it, stay, earn your money back, stay, then reassess where you're at. It could be best just to stay where you are, or it might be time to move on to something else.



Also, be careful of the negativity with other foreigners in Japan, especially at the beginning when you're looking for jobs and possibly hanging out in cheap accommodation. Soon enough you'll be out of that environment.



It would be best too once you've decided to go, to check the internet as much as possible as to what kinds of jobs are available. You'll see that a lot require you to be in Japan already, but it'll give you a sense of what's out there. Also, don't take the job ads word for word. A lot of those companies deal with staff that constantly changes and they made their original job positing years ago. They just pull it out and post it whenever a teacher leaves. For example, some places will say that you need a degree and TESL qualification. They probably forgot that they even asked for that. The fact is, if you show up for an interview and they like you, you're in. Especially if they need someone asap. Once people start doing their job, managers aren't looking at who has the best qualifications anymore. They're looking at who does the job well.